Winter Nighttime
by Lord Divestre Croft
Summary: He just couldn't get warm without her.


Just a quick one-shot I wrote in the afternoon.

* * *

I had promised to come back before midnight, but the snow began to fall, and the stupid roads were slippery. I nearly crashed Fenrir twice.By the time I pulled up to 7th Heaven, it was well past three in the morning. I was freezing. My face was numb. My ears were numb. My hands were numb, even though I was wearing gloves. The snow started falling hard, so I got into the garage I fast as I could.

The heater was on full blast inside the bar, but my body stayed frigid. I hung my scarf on the coat rack and headed upstairs. My boots were loud, so I tried to step as lightly as I could. I peaked inside Marlene and Denzel's room. They were fast asleep under their blankets. Seeming them snuggled up in their beds made me long to do the same. I bid them a quiet goodnight before passing.

I got to our room, and as I expected, Tifa was asleep too. I went into the closet and took off my boots; in the wee hours of the morning, I really wished that they weren't so darn complicated! I quickly changed into sweatpants and a t-shirt because my body was still numb. I didn't know why I couldn't warm up.

When I got to bed, I realized that Tifa was sleeping the left side of the bed. I preferred the right. I stood there for a moment, just looking at her. She was on her back, and her hair fanned over the pillow. Her lips were slightly pouted. I saw one of her hands resting on her stomach. That gold band was on her finger. I looked at the one on my own and smiled.

I slipped in carefully, not wanting to wake her, and buried the side of my face into the pillow. I had the perfect view of her pretty face. I wanted to reach out and touch her, but I didn't think she'd appreciate cold fingers on her skin. If she were awake, I fancied that she'd shrink away from me and stay on the warmer side of the bed.

I turned on the other side towards the window. The curtains were pulled back, and I saw the snowflakes coming down. It made me even colder than before. I figured I was coming down with something. Slowly and before I realized it, I was practically curling up into myself, trying desperately to get warm. My teeth began to chatter like crazy.

A pair of arms…warm arms…snaked around my waist. A chest glued itself to my back. A pair of bare legs wrapped around my legs, and a pair of feet rubbed against my feet. I felt hot, gentle breathing on my neck. That was when I started getting warm.

"Rough roads?" Tifa whispered.

"Yup," I replied.

"That's too bad," she said. "Well, I don't suppose you're not going out tomorrow."

I shook my head. She kissed the back of my neck, and I felt her smile.

"I didn't want you to go out anyway," Tifa confessed. "I don't like it when you drive in the snow."

"Gotta work," I answered.

"Can't you take a few months off? Until it stops snowing? The bar makes plenty of money, so…please, Cloud? Please?"

"I'll think about."

Apparently, that wasn't enough for her. She held me tighter and started planting hot kisses all over my neck. Her kisses became more and more merciless by the minute. I was reduced to a twitching, pathetic mess before she was through with me.

"Alright!" I cried. "No more deliveries until March! Until March!"

Tifa pressed her lips on me and blew as hard as she could. She snuffed her laughter into my shirt.

"You're a witch," I mumbled.

"Got that right," she hissed triumphantly. "Man…Cloud, you're freezing! What did you do? Dive into a pool of ice?"

"It's not that bad."

Tifa ran her hands frantically over my chest and pressed herself against me, as if she was trying to burrow inside of me.

"I'm gonna go downstairs and make you something warm."

"It's three a.m., Teef. And besides, I already got something warm."

"And what's that?"

"You."

Her arms loosened around me. She forced me onto my back with all her strength. The Devil's smile was on her lips.

"Oh really?" she murmured.

"Yeah really," I answered.

Tifa leaned forward and gave me a long, thorough, probing kiss. My lips were cold too.

"That's real sweet, Cloud," she said. "But I'm still getting you something!"

With an evil laugh, Tifa scrambled out of the bed. I tried to catch her in my arms, but she wriggled away and made it to the door. Tired and resigned, I watched helplessly as her warm posterior disappeared from the door.


End file.
